This easy Baked Chicken Thighs recipe is the best way to get juicy chicken and crispy skin all in one package.
Featuring a homemade chicken marinade that infuses bone-in chicken thighs (or other cuts) with serious flavor. It's the perfect main dish for any occasion!
There are days you're excited to make a more complicated meal like a multi-layered lasagna or bolognese sauce from scratch, but most of the time you want something quick, simple, and satisfying.
This delicious recipe for Baked Chicken Thighs is quickly becoming one of our favorite weeknight dinner recipes, mostly because of how versatile it is. Serve it with rice, mashed potatoes, steamed or roasted veggies, a crisp salad - or pretty much anything you can think of!
The skin is nice and crispy, while the inside is juicy and flavorful. The key? Using a simple homemade marinade (which can be prepped ahead of time if you need to).
Why You'll Love It:
- Simple ingredients. Most of the ingredients used are pantry staples, or can be switched out for other basic ingredients.
- Budget friendly. Chicken thighs are one of the most inexpensive cuts of meat, and they also happen to be a great source of protein! Best of all? The leftover chicken is great for adding to chicken salad, casseroles, salads, and more.
- A great basic recipe. This chicken thigh recipe goes with just about everything. Keep it in your recipe binder for a quick dinner fix.
- Deliciously crispy baked chicken thighs. Need I say more?
For the Marinade:
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Brown sugar
- Seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, Old Bay seasoning, and black pepper)
For the Meat:
- Chicken thighs: You will need about 2 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to make this recipe. That works out to about 8-10 average size thighs. If you prefer, you could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or even chicken breasts.
- Prepared chicken marinade: See the list above, and the listed substitutions down below if you are thinking of making swaps.
Recommended Tools:
- Freezer bag (or large bowl)
- Oven-safe wire baking rack
- Sheet pan
- Tongs
- Aluminum foil
- Meat thermometer
Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and the quantities needed.
How to Make Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- Add all of the marinade ingredients to a zip-top freezer bag or a large bowl.
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Add the chicken thighs and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken thighs.
- Marinate at room temperature for up to 1.5 hours, or transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for longer.
- Once your chicken has had a chance to absorb the marinade, line a baking sheet with foil, and set an oven-safe wire baking rack inside of it.
- Preheat the oven temperature to 425ºF (219ºC).
- Place the chicken thighs on the baking rack, smooth side up.
- Bake in a 425ºF (219ºC) oven for 35 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165-170ºF (74-77ºC) in the thickest portion of each piece.
- Remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Other Cuts to Consider
This method and marinade can be used with so many different types of chicken pieces. The most important thing is to check the internal temperature during cooking, as some bone-in cuts will take longer to cook than smaller, boneless pieces.
- Chicken breast
- Boneless chicken thighs
- Chicken wings
- Chicken drumsticks
- Chicken legs
- Tenders
Internal temperature: Both light and dark meat is safe to consume once it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC), but many prefer the texture of dark meat once it has reached 170-175ºF (77-80ºC).
Can I Prep the Marinade and Chicken Ahead of Time?
If you want to make this recipe for a BBQ, party, or just for a weeknight dinner, you can easily prepare it in advance.
- The marinade itself can be prepared up to 3 days ahead of time, but you shouldn't add any chicken (or other meats) unless you're going to be preparing the meat within the next 24 hours.
- If desired, add the chicken to the marinade the night before, then remove and cook when you get home from work. Easy peasy!
What to Serve with Chicken Thighs
- Mashed potatoes
- Rice
- Steamed green beans (or other steamed vegetables)
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Baked potatoes
- Scalloped potatoes
- Quinoa
- Dinner rolls or biscuits
- Brussels sprouts
- Sweet potatoes
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Place 3-4 pieces of chicken in the basket at a time, working in batches if needed.
- Cook for 20-24 minutes - until each piece meets an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC). Flip the pieces halfway through cooking.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Substitutions
Apple cider vinegar: This can be substituted with another acidic ingredient like lemon juice, orange juice, white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, etc. This will change the flavor considerably, so keep that in mind!
Worcestershire sauce: This adds a yummy savory flavor, but it can be substituted with soy sauce, coconut aminos, tamari, fish sauce, or even oyster sauce.
Olive oil: If preferred, you can use any high smoke point oil instead. Try using avocado oil, vegetable, peanut, sunflower, etc.
Customize the flavor: If desired, you can add your favorite fresh herbs (or dried ones), seasonings (like Italian seasoning, steakhouse seasoning, etc), dijon mustard, etc. No promises on how good it will taste - that's totally on you! But it can be fun to experiment.
What if I Don't Have Old Bay Seasoning?
Old Bay seasoning is a great staple to keep in your spice drawer, but not everyone has it on hand. It pairs perfectly with all kinds of delicious dishes, but is especially tasty with shrimp, salmon, crab, and chicken.
If you don't have some at home, but you have a well-stocked spice cabinet you should be able to make this homemade Old Bay seasoning recipe in a high powered blender or spice mill
Expert Tips
- Internal temperature is the best indicator. Use an instant-read thermometer to check for a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC). Most prefer the texture of dark meat that occurs at 170-175ºF (74-77ºC). Keep in mind that the temperature will increase slightly after the meat is out of the oven and is resting.
- Broil for crisp skin. If you want your skin to be extra crispy, set the oven to "broil" for 1-3 minutes - but watch it closely!
- Make broth with the leftover bones. Chicken thighs have a lot of connective tissue, which makes them perfect for making your own chicken bone broth! Add all of the leftover bones to an Instant Pot, along with some celery, carrots, onion, peppercorns, and salt. Cook on high pressure for 2 hours, then strain off the bones and vegetables. You've just made broth!
More Easy Dinner Recipes
If you loved this recipe for Baked Chicken Thighs, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8-10 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on (about 2 lbs)
Chicken Marinade:
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning*
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade. Add all of the ingredients to a zip-top freezer bag (or large bowl) and stir well to combine.
- Add the chicken thighs. Place the chicken thighs in the marinade and massage them together using your hands, or a stir with a silicone spatula.
- Marinate. Allow the chicken thighs to marinate for up to 90 minutes at room temperature. If desired, you can marinate them for longer in the refrigerator (up to 24 hours), but you will need to adjust the cooking time to account for using chilled meat.
- Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with foil and place an oven-safe wire baking rack (if available) inside. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC).
- Bake. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and place them (skin-side up) on the prepared baking rack (if using). Bake for 35 minutes, or until a digital thermometer reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165-170ºF (74-77ºC) in the thickest portion of each piece.
- Broil (optional). If you like a bit of a charred or crispy appearance to the skin, you can turn on the broiler and watch closely. Broil for 1-3 minutes, or until the chicken skin is crisp enough to your liking.
- Rest. Allow the chicken thighs to rest for 5 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
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